Day 1: Warsaw arrival
Arrive in Warsaw, Poland’s dynamic capital. After transfer to your hotel, the remainder of the day is free. Take a walk through the city center to get your bearings — the Palace of Culture and Science dominates the skyline, while the reconstructed Old Town awaits discovery. Meet your tour group and guide in the evening for a welcome briefing and optional dinner.
Day 2: Warsaw tour
Spend a full day exploring Warsaw with your guide. The morning focuses on the UNESCO-listed Old Town, a meticulous reconstruction of the city’s medieval core that was destroyed during World War II. See Castle Square, the Royal Castle, and St. John’s Cathedral. Visit the Warsaw Rising Museum to understand the 1944 uprising that defined the city’s wartime experience. Walk the Royal Route past the Presidential Palace and university. In the afternoon, explore Lazienki Park with its Chopin Monument and Palace on the Water, or visit the POLIN Museum. The evening is free for independent discovery of Warsaw’s vibrant dining scene.
Day 3: Wroclaw
Travel west to Wroclaw, arriving by midday. After checking into your hotel, begin exploring this enchanting city built across 12 islands. Cross the Tumski Bridge, adorned with lovers’ padlocks, to reach Cathedral Island (Ostrow Tumski), the spiritual heart of Wroclaw. See the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, and if you visit at dusk, watch the lamplighter perform his daily ritual of lighting the gas lamps by hand. Spend the afternoon exploring the magnificent Market Square, the colorful Baroque and Gothic facades, and the impressive Town Hall. Keep your eyes peeled for Wroclaw’s famous dwarfs — tiny bronze statues hidden throughout the city.
Day 4: Poznan
Continue north to Poznan, one of Poland’s oldest cities. Your tour centers on the Old Market Square, dominated by the Renaissance Town Hall. Be sure to be in the square at noon to witness Poznan’s most beloved tradition: two mechanical goats emerge from the clock tower to butt heads twelve times, a ritual that has delighted visitors since 1551. Visit Poznan Cathedral on Cathedral Island, the oldest cathedral in Poland and the likely burial site of the country’s first rulers. See the colorful merchants’ houses, the Baroque parish church, and the Imperial Castle. The evening is free to sample St. Martin’s croissants, a local pastry with protected designation status.
Day 5: Torun
Travel to Torun, one of Poland’s most beautiful and authentic cities. The entire medieval Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, its Gothic brick architecture largely untouched by the wars that devastated other Polish cities. Follow the Copernicus Trail to the birthplace of the father of modern astronomy, visit the Copernicus Museum, and see the university named in his honor. Visit St. John’s Cathedral with its massive medieval bell, and climb the Town Hall tower for panoramic views. Most importantly, sample pierniki — the legendary Torun gingerbread — and visit a gingerbread museum or workshop to learn the centuries-old craft of making these aromatic spiced cookies. The evening in Torun has a magical quality as the Gothic spires are illuminated against the night sky.
Day 6: Gdansk
Arrive in Gdansk, the crown jewel of Poland’s Baltic coast. Your guided tour begins in the Main Town, walking the Royal Route from the Golden Gate to the magnificent Long Market. Admire the Neptune Fountain, the beautifully decorated Golden House, and the medieval Gdansk Crane on the Motlawa embankment. Visit St. Mary’s Church, one of the largest brick churches in the world, capable of holding 25,000 people. In the afternoon, visit the European Solidarity Centre in the Gdansk Shipyard, an interactive and moving museum that tells the story of the resistance movement that would eventually bring down the Iron Curtain. Spend your final evening exploring Mariacka Street’s amber galleries and enjoying Baltic seafood at a waterfront restaurant.
Day 7: Malbork Castle + Gdansk departure
On your final morning, travel to Malbork to visit the Castle of the Teutonic Order, the largest brick castle in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. This vast fortress, built in the 13th century, was the seat of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights and the capital of their monastic state. The scale is breathtaking — the castle covers 21 hectares enclosed within three concentric defensive walls. A guided tour explores the High Castle, Middle Castle, and Grand Master’s Palace, revealing the wealth and power of the medieval military order. Return to Gdansk for your departure transfer to the airport, or extend your stay to further explore this captivating Baltic city.
